Byrd - the father of British music
5th November 2023
William Byrd died in July 1623, just over 400 years ago and can lay claim to the title of 'Father of British Music'.
Little is known about his life other than that he was born (around 1539/40) and educated in London (possibly following his brothers as a chorister at St Paul's and becoming a pupil of Thomas Tallis at the Chapel Royal) before taking up the role of organist at Lincoln Cathedral in 1563. He returned to the Chapel Royal in London in 1572 where he sang, played and composed, developing a partnership with Tallis where they enjoyed a monopoly for the printing of music and ruled music paper for 21 years, one of a number of patents issued by the Crown for the printing of books, which was the first known issuing of Letters Patent.
In turbulent times, Byrd enjoyed remarkable patronage and apparent protection which is perhaps a tribute to the esteem in which he was held by contemporaries as well as the royal court. He wrote instrumental, keyboard and vocal music in all styles and his output of close to 500 compositions justifies his reputation as one of the great masters of Renaissance music and a major influence on succeeding generations of composers.
"Since singing is so good a thing,
I wish all men would learn to sing."
So wrote Byrd in the preface to one his music collections: singing is good for the soul, for developing physical and emotional well-being and is character-building. To sing his vocal lines, whether in the body of a motet, a madrigal or a mass is a joy! Matchless in all areas of composition according to his peers, it seems to be that Byrd regards the voice as the single most important feature of musical composition and performance. (Click on image below).
The Linlithgow String Orchestra will feature music by Byrd, including arrangements of some of his beautiful vocal works, in their concert "Elizabethan Serenade" on Saturday, 11th November in St Michael's Church, Linlithgow at 7pm.
